Thank you

I am hugely grateful to a whole lot of people. I have thoroughly enjoyed telling a number of them how very much they have contributed to me and my readers and I have a few more thank yous to make.

I want to thank the parents who have helped me make this book more relevant and rich by allowing me to quote them. Thank you also to all the parents and clinicians who offer up their knowledge on the internet, in particular those who make the FEAST site and the Around the Dinner Table forum such a top resource. Thank you to the young people whose words I reproduced here. Thank you to the parents I’ve become close to, whose struggles and successes I have witnessed and learned from, and to all those who commented on my manuscript. Thank you, all of you who wrote to me about your successes as you read drafts on my website. You helped me stay focused.

Thank you, Harriet Brown,[i] for your advice and your work on the Maudsley Parents website. Thank you to Laura Collins[ii] for your answers, and most of all, for your enormous contribution, via the FEAST website and beyond, to the lives of so many families hit by an eating disorder.

Within the Nonviolent Communication community, some trainers have contributed much-needed support. Thank you, Verene Nicolas[iii] for being there for me. I think with gratitude of Inbal Kashtan, who let me use some of her materials about child-friendly needs language. Thank you, Marcia Christen, [iv] for deepening my understanding of some Nonviolent Communication concepts. And Shona Cameron, [v] thank you for what you’ve given my family, as well as for your work reading, checking and commenting on sections relating to communication.

Thank you, Robert Doran,[vi] for being a top-notch, dedicated and delightful editor.

Thank you to the eating-disorders clinicians who encouraged me right from the start and commented on the manuscript.

Thank you to all the professionals who made our lives better. Thank you in particular to those who contributed to our daughter’s well-being and supported us parents.

Thank you to all the people who made tough days so much easier with their kindness – receptionists, dinner ladies, friends and total strangers.

Thank you to my husband for your steadfast tender loving care.

And finally, thank you to my daughter. For all sorts of things. Most of all, just for being you.

Caution please (Disclaimer)

I’m a parent – not a clinician. This site is not a substitute for professional advice. Pay attention to your instincts, read widely, speak to other parents, and most importantly, keep your clinicians in the loop.